Passover

1 of 2

noun

Pass·​over ˈpas-ˌō-vər How to pronounce Passover (audio)
: a Jewish holiday beginning on the 14th of Nisan and commemorating the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt

pass over

2 of 2

verb

passed over; passing over; passes over

transitive verb

1
: to ignore in passing
2
: to pay no attention to the claims of : disregard

Examples of Passover in a Sentence

Verb you seem to have passed over an important e-mail notice I'd be willing to pass over this latest episode of tardiness if there hadn't been so many before.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Tagovailoa’s third turnover occurred on Miami’s first drive of the second half when a short pass over the middle of the field was intercepted by Colts defensive lineman Laiatu Latu, who dropped back into coverage on Miami’s offense while a three Colts rushers came after Tagovailoa. Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025 Guilherme Biro’s pass over the top to Owen Wolff, son of Sporting KC legend Josh Wolff, was overplayed by SKC’s Robert Voloder. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025 Facing a fourth-down sequence, quarterback Jareth Staine lobbed a pass over the top to Isaiah Rogers, who scampered to paydirt for a 24-yard touchdown reception to give the Golden Eagles an immediate 6-0 advantage. Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025 Leonhard had a long playing career in the NFL, but coached seven years in college at Wisconsin before eventually landing in Denver after getting passed over for the head job at UW in 2022. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Passover

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from the exemption of the Israelites from the slaughter of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12:23–27)

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Passover was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Passover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Passover. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

Passover

1 of 2 noun
Pass·​over ˈpas-ˌō-vər How to pronounce Passover (audio)
: a Jewish holiday celebrated in March or April in honor of the freeing of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt

pass over

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)pas-ˈō-vər
1
: to ignore in passing
2
: to pay no attention to
Etymology

Noun

so called because in Exodus 12:23–27 the Lord passes over the homes of the Israelites in killing the firstborn in Egypt

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